The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia.times.hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Velvet Blue Wren.
The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Emerald, Victoria, Australia. The new Petunia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of a proprietary selection of Petunia.times.hybrida identified as code number 4290 as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia.times.hybrida identified as code number 892 as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was selected in October, 1993 on the basis of its unique flower color and velvet-like petal texture.
Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading and differ in flower color compared to plants of the female parent selection. Compared to plants of the male parent selection, plants of the new Petunia have smaller flowers, smaller leaves and also differ in flower color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Emerald, Victoria, Australia, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.